Improvement in buttons



J. KEATS.

BUTTONS.

Patented Aug. '2,1871A MZ esse@ N-PETEHS, PHOTCLLITHOGRAPHEH, WASHINGTON. D. C.

JOHN KEArs, or woon GREEN, ENGLAND@v IAM'PROVEMENTIN BUTTONS.

specification forming part of 'Letters Patent No.' 193,964, dated August 7, 1877; application inea I .time 28,1877'.

To all. whom it 'may concern: Beit known that I, JOHN KEMS, of Wood K Green, in the county of Middlesex, England,

have-invented certain Improvements in But! tons, of which the following is a description,

attachment of the button or for its detachable 1 connection as a s-tud.

The invention consists in a stud or button the Yshank of which and a shouldered rivet which attaches the said shank to the head are both formed out of the Isame sheet-metal blank with the disk ot' which the backor holding plate of the stud or button is composed by so cutting the said blank as to produce a tongue-like portion extending from the center, or near the center, of the disk to or beyond its circumference, and turning up the so-cut portion perpendicular to the face of the disk.

The invention also consists in a button having its shank struck up from, and composed entirely of, the same piece of metal which forms the back or holding plate, and united in a iiexible manner with the head of the button, to admit of said head having a like freedom of motion relatively with the surface of the fabric to which the button is attached as buttons which are secured by sewing, and whereby the operation of buttoning and unbuttonin g is facilitated.

Figure l represents one form of blank which may be used in the construction of. a button or stud made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view, in perspective, of said blank after it has been struck up to form the back or holding plate and shank of the vbutton or stud, also showing a head-plate to which said shank is designed to be secured. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of said parts as attached; and Fig. 4, a view, in perspective, of a finished stud, embodying the parts as shown in the previous figures. fied form or construction of the blank from Fig. 5 is a view of a modi- :which the back or holding plate and shank are made; Fig. y6a view, in perspective, of the same after it has been struck up into shape ready for attachment to the head, also showing the head of an uncovered button to whichl the 'shank is designed .to be connected ina flexible manner. .-Fig..7 is a perpect'ive View r'of said partsas attached. Figs. 8 and 9are sectional View, in direction of the length Vof the i shank of a cloth-covered button land ot' itsY skeleton constructed'with a shank formed enl tirely of the saine piece of' metal as the back 'or holding plate, and iexibly riveted .to the head of the button, Fig. 9 also showing, by

dotted lines, the freedom given lto the head by the iexible attachment of -thefshank thereto. Prior to more minutely describing these several figures of vthe drawing, it will beobserved that the head `of the stud or button mayv eitherbe simple or compound, and either plain orz ornamented, and of any suitable material vor materials.

Referring, in the lfirst instance, to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the drawing, I first take a blank which has been stamped out of sheetbrass or other metal, by means of a y-press or other suitable contrivance, into the form shown in Fig. 1, whereby said blank left with an opening at one side of it terminating in duplicate points externally, and containing a tongue or neck, b, which commences at the center of said blank, and terminates externally in a shouldered outer extremity, c. The disk or main portion of this blank forms the back or holding plate A of the button or stud, and its tongue or neck b, which is afterwards struck or bent up into shape, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, constitutes the shank. 4The pointed outer ends d d of the cut-away portion in one side of said plate form horns to facilitate the entry and removal of the plate A through and from the fabric to which it is designed to apply the button or stud, or through or from a hole specially made in the fabric for the purpose. To attach the back A to the head B ofthe stud or plate forming part of said head, the shouldered outer extremity c of the shank b, which constitutes a shouldered rivet, is entered within a slot in said head-plate and riveted down over the latter, or otherwise secured thereto.

Referring, in the next instance, to Figs. 5, 6, and 7 of the drawing, Fig. 5 shows a metal blank, having a tongue or neck, b, cut or formed in it from its center outward, and projecting beyond the margin of said blank. This tongue or neck, which is afterward struck or bent up to form the shank of the button, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7,'terminates externally iu a doublcpronged shouldered extremity, c o', which constitutes a shouldered double rivet. The disk or main portion of this blank forms the back or holding plate A of the button, and the pointed outer ends d d of the cutaway portion init made by the striking up of the shank b form horns for passing the plate A through the fabric to which it is designed to apply the button. Either of these horns may,if desired, be slightly bent, to give to it a screw form or action.

The back or holding plate is attached to the head B of the button by passing lthe prongs c c' or double rivet at the outer extremity of the shank through a longitudinal aperture, s, in the head, and afterward pressing or bending the protruding portions of said prongs laterally in reverse directions over onto the outer surface of the head, thereby forming ears, which, while securing the button-head to the shank, admit of the head slightly rocking on the latter about the prongs as a center of mot-ion, a sufficient looseness being left or formed in securing the button to its place between said ears and the shouldered portion of the shank for the purpose. This constitutes a flexibly-riveted connection ofthe head with the back or plate of the button, to give to it the same freedom as a sewed button,

as clearly shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9 of the drawing, in which figure, as also in Fig. 8, the same construction of parts is shown as in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, but as applied to a clothcovered button or dished head -plate of such or other button having a facing'or covering applied to its head.

'P If a button with a round shank be desired,

the edges of the shank b produced from the sheet may be turned in or over to produce the round form; and, in such case, instead of cutting away metal from the sides of the shank,

as is shown in Fig. 1, a simple slit may be made on each side, and the whole of the metal contained within the circle of the blank thus utilized. I

I claiml. A stud or button having its shank b and a shouldered rivet, c, which attaches the said shank to the head,formed from the same sheetmetal blank with the back -plate A by cutting from the disk of said blank a tongue-like portion, extending from the center to or beyond the circumference of said disk, aud turning up the so-cut portion perpendicular to the said disk, substantially as herein described.

2. In combination with the shank and head of a button, the shouldered double rivet c' c', formed on the shank, and having its prongs turned in reverse directions to form a exible connection betweenthe shank and head, substantially as herein described.

JOHN kEATs.

Witnesses MICHAEL RYAN, FRED. HAYNEs. 

